1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides an improved connector mechanical interlock utilizing ball detents which are maintained in position and compression loaded by a spring washer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrical connectors having means for preventing inadvertent decoupling of the connector parts have been available in the prior art for many years. One form of conventional electrical connector used in the prior art includes a plug and receptacle, each of which contains an insulating material carrying a plurality of engagable contacts therein, whereby when the plug and receptacle are fully mated, the contacts are engaged to complete electrical circuits therebetween. A bayonette type connector coupling mechanism is frequently employed to positively retain the plug and receptacle of the connector in the fully mated position. The coupling mechanism may also include further means such as a spring to help in the retention of the plug and receptacle in the fully mated orientation.
Another form of connector device is of the type wherein a rotatable coupling nut is not required to insure coupling of the two connector parts. In this case, interlocking means are required which will insure a sufficient mechanical interlock betwen the plug and receptacle components of the electrical connector. In many of these connector types, ball detents are utilized to provide the mechanical interlock. In general, the detents are positioned on the receptacle portion of the electrical connector and engage recesses formed on the plug member when the plug member is inserted into the receptacle. Various means are utilized to provide a compressive force on the ball detents in a manner to allow the ball to first be forced in a direction away from the plug as it is being inserted into the receptacle and then forced back toward the recesses in the plug to form the mechanical interlock. However, the prior art ball detent mechanical interlock systems generally are inefficient and tend to fail relatively rapidly due to the uneven compression applied to the ball detents and the fact that the ball detents can easily become misaligned with the recesses due to the repeated insertion of the plug into the receptacle member.
What would be desired is to provide an improved mechanical interlock system which utilizes ball detents which are loaded in a manner such that the balls are maintained in a substantially fixed alignment and wherein a substantially uniform force is applied thereto by a relatively simple loading device, the overall mechanical interlock system thus being relatively inexpensive, reliable and having a relatively long lifetime.